


Seen this play out in my dream

by Eagefrien



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Awkward meetings again, Gen, I'm Sorry, Magic, Major charcter undeath, Possession, SO, The Author Regrets Everything, The actual shipping doesn't occur for a while, Time Travel, everyones confused, mentions of drug and alcohol use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 23:30:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17212886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eagefrien/pseuds/Eagefrien
Summary: They to go back, but things never work out in the Mystery Skulls favor. Locked into repeating timeline only defined by a simple message "Save them"





	1. Arthur Verse- 40 times dying

**Author's Note:**

> So, fun story, I have too many ideas and I'm going to try to combine all of them here. Although, I realized that almost nothing in this chapter makes much sense and it's really weird

_Lewis was in front of him, and yet seen from the side, walking calmly into the darkness, a look of inquisicion mixing with a peaceful grin, surrounded by green mist and an aura of emptiness. Holes were being burned into the back of his skull, and Lewis seemed to have felt it. He turned, lifting the torch with him as he did. He recognized it. Recognized the never ending sense of dread. It's been following him for days- well, not Lewis, but Arthur. Arthur, who had stopped a few meters back, staring dully into his chest, too weak to lift his head, too tired to even explain, or come up with an excuse for his odd behaviour. There was a twitch if his lips._

_"Lewis, I love you."_

_"I- I'm sorry?" Lewis asked, raising an eyebrow and lifting the torch high to see more of his friend, driving the hard shadows and demons out of sight. Lewis would have been lying if he said he wasn't unnerved._

_"You heard me. I- I love you so much, I.. I cant keep doing this." Arthur didn't offer any explanation, slouched in defeat. What more could he do. "I've gotten so desperate, Lewis.. I don't think I can hold out much longer..." He admitted, tears sliding down his face as he stared up at him hopelessly. "I just want this all the end- I don't want to do this again-" He gasped quietly, hitting the jagged cave wall as he lose feeling in his legs, crumpling to the ground as his mind went numb. A festering agony ripping through his skull._

 

And then he was staring up at the ceiling of the van, breathless and trembling, another nightmare. Another day.. Arthur sat up, vision glazing as he steadied himself and draped his arms over the seats in front of him, careful not to pinch Vivi's hair or anything. He was shaking. He has since the second he woke up, boring holes into the windshield as he looked past the two's speech bubbles- he couldn't see them, but the vibrations in the air lingered for too long, leaving him without a moment's notice to think of anything. Much less, the text's he was staring at on his phone. Addressed from himself. The few messages read _This has been another time running through this incident, please think a little more this time. Don't dwell to much on the future, as it no longer pertains to you. Remember, you can save them and yourself._  What the hell did that even mean? Raking his hand harshly through his hair, Arthur leaned against the warm seats and reread the messages. Without thinking, he switched to another app that was unusually still in use. The text was frazzled and rushed, describing events. The same ones from.. that he just woke up from... Arthur glanced up rapidly, the dull throb turning into sharp stings in the back of his skull. His stomach lurched as the van slowed into a park, forcing him from his daze into something worse. Their voices were starting to become clearer, as if his head was submerged in water seconds ago, and every noise was piercing into his ear drums. Lewis, Vivi, and Mystery all jump out of their seats. Arthur moved to follow after them, intense deja-vu rushing through him. Far worse than anything he's ever felt in his whole life. Unable to shake the feeling he was missing something. 

Arthur slowed as soon as he stepped onto the pavement, face losing color and eye's blanking along with every aspect of his mind and soul. He was losing time. He was sure of it.. The memories of every repeat racing through his head. Every alternate path Arthur tried to take, only for it to end up the same way- with only the smallest differences.. But small differences weren't good enough. _Nothing_  was good enough, and Arthur refused to settle for anything less. His gaze snapped up to Lewis and Vivi, staring at him inquisitively. To his right, Mystery was watching him. 

"Hey, Arthi' you okay?" The woman shouted, and the detachment that swarmed Arthur's head was nearly enough to make him vomit. He's seen them like this many, _many_  times.. He glanced down at his phone, and saw the number recorded on notes- along with every action he took to try and fix this.. Thirty seven, this would be the thirty eighth. 

"Yep, I'm fine." He recited, the voice coming from his mouth far from his own. A great pressure pounded against his skull, and he repeated his goal again. 

"Are you sure?" Save them.

"You seem a bit out of it.." Protect them from this hell.

"Of course, I'm good. Just slept funny," Make sure that they'll be able to go home in one piece today. It doesn't matter what becomes of him. Arthur gave up on a happy future for himself weeks ago. Vivi frowned, the moon light reflecting off her glasses. She should go home tonight, free of tears and a smile wide across her face. Lewis gazed up at him worriedly, dousing the tip of his minimalist torch with oil. The image of hate flashed in his eyes. But Arthur forced the vision and memories out of his mind, knowing that Lewis never deserved a fate like that. He would wake up tomorrow in his bed, before watching over his three sisters.   
Arthur was going to make sure of it. he could deal with the PTSD, the dissociation, the pain and sorrow of dying every day, just as long as he made sure to put a stop to this cruel and unforgiving fate. And to prove his determination, to himself, to them, to Mystery or to the universe in its entirety, Arthur walked forward, past the two worried lovers, and into the mouth of nightmares. He would be sure to end this thing, if it was the last thing he'd ever do. How? Well, that's the tricky part..

When he failed to protect these amazing people from his own hand, he'd see their entire life play out from the result. It was always the same too.. A wraith filled with agony and desperation. Every nightmare seemed to follow the same pattern, until he was fleeing for his life, trying to explain, trying to _fix_  it in any way he could, before falling into the same pit of stalagmites he stood before now.. It was so dark, Arthur strained his vision to see anything around him.. Much less the edge. Whenever those dreams- those visions ended, Arthur would be left in a vast and empty space with nothing but his own thoughts to keep him company, always reeling from the emotional exhaustion and turmoil brought by the endings. He could plan as much as he wanted, before the moment he woke up, and forgot everything except a deep sorrow. Only for them to come crashing down on him as they drove, arrived, parked, stepped out. 

What didn't work before? Faking didn't, panic attacks slightly helped, screaming only sped up possession.. Everything failed... As Arthur stared down into the fog sliding up the wall, he felt the intensity of his desperation clawing at him, seemed as if nothing would help them avoid death tonight. Well, there was something he didn't fully try. Would, would Arthur be able to deal with that kind of emotional whiplash? Perhaps not. But Lewis and Vivi and Mystery mattered so much more than his own feelings. 

Soft taps of the small dog behind him brought his attention back to the dim light of Lewis's torch. Quick. 

"Hey- I'm gonna search up here with Mystery, Okay?" They were going to change up the split up formation this time around, if he remembered correctly.. doesn't matter. Even the dog knew something was wrong, evident by the glint in his eyes. What could Arthur do? Doubting his own sense of stability, he turned to the dog, kneeling forward so they were nearly nose to nose. "You know what's going on right? The- the repeating ..time lines, right?" Arthur whispered, green fog filling his peripheral vision, an even brighter glow of  Lewis's torch. _Dammit_. Mystery blinked in surprise, clearly disliking the close proximity of the two. He leaned again, words coming out in a hushed tone. "I _know_  that you're a mythical creature, Mystery- Kitsune, whatever. I don't care about that, but I _need_  you to help me save Lewis and Vivi-!" 

"Arthur, what are you talking about?" Lewis asked, and Arthur knew he couldn't bullshit his way through this. Arthur wouldn't be able to handle this loop anymore. Mystery never responded to him, eyes wide in shock. If they got out of this, surely the pup would question him thoroughly. _If_. Vivi stepped past Lewis, quickly approaching him. The fog has already covered his skin, surrounding his legs like a familiar hug. Mystery yelped, butting his head into Arthur's knees to get him to move. Pins and needles filled his fingers and calves. 

"Get back-!" Arthur hissed, forcing the dog away, keeping Vivi away-  This could be his _last_  chance. And the world was already growing fuzzy and cold, "I-I..." He struggled to breath, his words getting stuck in his throat from the pressure building in his mind, in his soul as the paracistic demon latched onto his mind. Just- fight against it, turn off your mind, shut it out, _you've done it before._  Without thinking, Arthur suddenly spoke more, but not from his own voice. "I just need to go lay down, please, ignore me, okay?" That wasn't his voice. The other three also noticed this too- what was _it_  doing? Before he could be questioned, Arthur slinked away, masked partially by the shadows to keep his concealed- that didn't work so well, as a large hand clapped onto his shoulder. The hairs on his neck stood up uncomfortably, and he forced himself to look over, peering into the endless worry clouding Lewis's eyes. The world stained green, and it's night vision allowing him to make out more details. _Why_   _wasn't it doing anything? What was different?_  His arms were starting the shake. Lewis pulled him back, making him look at him before he started to speak again.

"What on earth is going on with you?" Lewis asked, his grip tightening by a fraction, the torch no longer in his hand but instead Vivi's. The woman was watching them carefully, and the intense pressure slowly lifted, as if the demon was.. was retreating. The emotion and panic that rocketed through him left with them. 

"I... I gotta- I just want to.." Just say it- it's time to get this over with. Get what over with? Two sides of him was fighting for control, the one ignorant to the devastating realities lying within his spirit and the one that grew accustomed to it. "I can't say it here," The glares boring into his face empathized the apathy filling his mind, too drained to even feel things properly. Except for a nag in his heart. That constant desperation billowing around him. Begging him to speak. A sigh of agitation brought Arthur's focus back to the forefront. He could see Lewis's eyes under his hair, it stopped sending chills up his spine a while ago.   
"Let's go, we can talk in the car."

Lewis lead him through the stretch of jagged rock, guided only by moonlight and from what Arthur could tell, determination. Determination to make sure they were safe, get to the bottom of everything and... to see if his friend was okay. As soon as he stepped out of the caves confines, Arthur was pinned under a sharp gaze.  
"Arthur, I honestly don't want to pressure you, but I know that something is wrong." Arthur could only stare back at him, words just on the tip of his tongue. God he felt awful for doing this to them. That didn't stop him though, Lewis crossed his arms, eyebrows furrowed in concern. He slumped forward, and before he could stop himself, he was talking.  
"Lewis, I need you to look at me, and don't stop until we get into the van. Or tie me up." Lewis's face dropped immediately, color draining as his eyebrows shot up. 

"What-"

"Please, I need you.." Arthur took a deep breath, This nearly worked before, it almost worked before, it could absolutely work now. Clenching his eyes shut, Arthur willed up his courage and shot down any voice that would have prevented him from saying this before.

 "Lewis, I love you." A silence fell over the two, and Arthur did not want to face the man before him, if this was normal and okay, then his shoulders would start to tremble. But this wasn't normal. This was the furthest thing from normal and only Arthur was aware of that fact. Too drained and tired to think of excuses of allow any form of emotion to sprout- if there was any in the first place. Turning his head up he looked at Lewis in the eye, who looked as if he was at a loss for words. 

"Wh- I.. Im sorry?" 

"I said, I love you, dude. And not in a platonic way. I mean in a very, very romantic way." Arthur repeated, making sure Lewis could catch every single syllable. He just stood there, dumbfounded and conflicted, Arthur didn't stop himself when he continued, "I- I know that this is probably the last place you'd ever want to hear a confession from your best friend. Trust me, I didn't want to either, especially not with Vivi so close by. But I cant keep doing this anymore, and I'm getting- I got desperate." Lewis watched him, staring into his eyes, concerned and worried and scared. 

 "I've gone into this cave about forty times already. I've experienced the same scene so many times I can fuckin' _recite_  it." Arthur spat, not meaning to come off so harsh, but a wave of anguish and pain crashed into his shoulders and he couldn't stand up straight. Legs trembling, Arthur started rasping. "Do- do.. you aren't even the same Lewis I was fuckin' with! You haven't been, _why_ - Why did I never make that connection-!" His eyes stung as if they were on fire. 

"What on earth are you saying?" Genuine confusion covered lewis's face, listening to his friends nonsensical babbling. 

"Of course- Of fuckin' course." Arthur leaned against the rock wall, tears streaming down his face as he tried to think of words to formulate the heart ache ripping his chest apart. "No, it wouldn't even make sense if I _tried_  to explain it. I didn't- don't even really understand why all of this is happening.." Without thinking, Arthur turned, marching to the van and throwing himself inside, in a vain attempt to cool his raging emotions. He curled up, hugging his head as he tried to go over everything. 

After they realized what happened, a wizard- DUET, had offered them a chance to fix their predicament..  And they agreed, if they were allowed to go together in the same time line. But that wasn't the case. Because he woke up in the back of the van and Lewis didn't have any clue on what the hell Arthur was talking about. Just- just ignore everything, and pretend it doesn't exist. Arthur whimpered, curling farther and trying to ease the ache in his chest. The pressure from before was back and building. A common migraine he realized was from the constant loops. He never figured out why they always grew, or what was even causing them. Just that it was becoming unbearable. Sweating, Arthur desperately tried to ignore Lewis's voice on the other side of the door, ashamed and exhausted. He didn't want Lewis to leave but all he wanted to do was hide and pray that they never find him. Maybe on the next loop he'll just- take off, or steal he van and drive around so that way they'll have to get a ride before exploring. They'd hate him for sure, but it would be-

A loud, piercing alarm sounded from beside his head. Arthur's head shot up, to see his phone buzzing frantically with a simple message flashing across the screen. The pressure dissipated immediately. Suddenly, every version of himself that experienced this collided in a cosmic wave of unbelievable joy and disbelief. 

**If Lewis is still alive by now, you won.**

If Lewis is still alive by now, you won. If Lewis is still alive by now, you won. Arthur stared, breathless and light headed. Barely able to recall what loop he was on when he made sure to set that alarm- If Lewis was alive. Lewis- Lewis was ALIVE. Why was this affecting him this way- it felt as if he was experiencing a thousand versions of this all at once, desperately colliding and overlapping in terrified attempts to latch onto this reality. A reality only defined by this one message. Arthur could be drowning and he wouldn't care. His cosmic or galactic or _whatever_  experience was only interrupted by the door being forced open. Lewis was there, and he was mad. But he was _alive_. 

 


	2. Lewis Verse -  Waking up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur isn't the only one who is awake now, but his memory is a bit frayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your lovely comments! I really appreciate them so much!  
> Also I should mention, the chapter's will be following different timelines based on which character has gone back.

The whiplash was intense and sent Lewis to the wall. He gasped, fists clenching enough to turn white and leave him breathless. The air around him was hot- and heat shivered up his arms and along his veins, electrifying every sense until he was grasping to the wall for what felt like dear life. He could barely see past the white haze that had filled his vision. The sun burned, and the noises of the road rang in his ears. Lewis’s chest lurched with the overwhelming urge to vomit. Gasping and sputtering, Lewis couldn't hold back pained sobs lurching through his chest and captivating every inch of his body. Skin prickling, waves of heat flashed up his spine and eroded into his bones- practically lifting himself off the ground and dragging him further down all at the same time. His thoughts didn't have time to keep up with the fire in his lungs. Until it suddenly died. Leaving the man staring blankly at the wall as his muscles ached and burned and pleaded for him to stop standing. As if on command with that thought, Lewis collapsed into the rough cement, scraping his knees and knocking his head into the brick wall.

“Jesus, you okay, man?” Lewis gasped, whipping his head back so fast that the previous pain flared enough to force tears out. A small person was huddled against the wall, paralyzed with terror that Lewis could only assume was himself, they hesitantly took a step further, yanking something out of their pocket. “What- what's your family’s number- I..” The ringing in Lewis’s ears overtook the man's voice. Trembling, Lewis pressed his palms to his forehead, sweat nearly pouring off his scalp- scalp? The terror ripping through Lewis’s body did not halt as he caught sight of his own skin, ashy from pressure and filling with pins and needles.

His skin. Not gloved or bony fingers but dry skin too oily to be properly clean. Lewis watched blankly as the disorientation amplified, hyper aware of his clothes and the ground and every texture rushing into his fried nerves to remind him that he was alive. Trembling, Lewis slowly turned his head to the poor unfortunate soul, still watching him, hand about to touch his shoulder and would very likely set every one of Lewis’s nerves on fire. Their expression read of simple fear through strands of purple hair. They- they were fuzzy and duplicating softly, Lewis forced his eyes to focus. The person was talking, looking up toward the brighter light of- of..

“I- Lewis, give me just a minute okay?” The green of their clothes were familiar. Too familiar.. who was that. Jolting, Lewis had to force himself to bury his eyes again, a surge of memory and thought stampeding over his mind, drowning out the sounds of reality. The person bounced around. The textures were too much, the lights were too much, everything was so much happening at once and Lewis couldn’t breath.

The sensations stopped. When they did, Lewis didn’t have the faintest clue, just that it was starting to hurt from sitting so still. Slowly, he started shifting his fingers, then his hands, his arms, and eventually reaching up to his neck, which really ached. Lewis moves his neck and rolled his body to the side, eventually opening his eyes enough to make out the room he was in. Filled nearly to the brim with papers and magazines, and hardly.. any light, what so ever. Probably for the best honestly, Lewis’s head still pounded from the- the.. A sudden burst of feeling erupted through his body, light shivers cascading throughout his chest before spiraling outward in an awful wave. Lewis took a deep breath, his lungs expanding uncomfortably in his chest as he did. Oh god did that hurt- almost unbelievably so. Rolling into his back, Lewis did breathing exercises and tried to think without.. without it becoming overwhelming.

He was alive. Alive. He drummed his fingers against the mattress as if to make sure.. Lewis exhaled, running his hand tentatively over his chest… resting it over his.. his beating heart. Relief shot through him instantly. Having.. having a pulse, it was nearly as overwhelming as- whatever earlier was. If he could, Lewis could wrap himself in the blanket just to listen to his body move again- If it wasn’t apparent that something was far from correct. Think, what happened before.. before you.. woke up? The truck, driving with three deadbeats over his shoulder and fire in his eye, bobbing his head to Hellbent as he pictured the ways to torture Arthur when he finally got his hands on him. Torture? Lewis sat up in the bed, immediately throwing off the blanket barely keeping him warm, as if those thoughts were genuinely frightening.

They were, he argued with himself. The floor was far too cold, shocking his senses. He was dead, just hours ago... so why was he here....? How was he alive, with real human flesh and- was his eyes normal again? Without thinking straight, Lewis clawed at his cheeks, hissing in pain when his nails sent blinding pain throughout his skull, the migraine once again setting in as he curled. Face practically buried into the firm and unforgiving material. Shivers rolled down his back, all the hairs standing on end and making it harder to bear. Taking quick and deep shuddery breaths, Lewis's eyes flashed across the area, panic bursting in him once again, he had no idea where he was. He had no idea why he was alive, or why anything was happening, just the cold filling his lungs made the sensitive nerves twitch too much. He coughed, squeezing his eyes shut. It hurt. It hurt so much and he couldn't breath, the harshness against his throat tore through it and he forced himself to his curl over his legs. This shouldn't be possible. Nothing is making any sort of sense and it's leaving him without anything to hold onto, no constant he could latch onto to grapple with the mixed memories and sort out the inconsistencies. He wasn't dreaming, that was obvious. He couldn't be dreaming, he remembered everything so clearly, he felt everything- anything he could feel. Sure, he didn't have nerves, but the energy buzzing around him made up for the senseless bone he used every day. The emotions he constantly felt were real, the rage, the sorrow, the undying need to right the wrongs in his life, the love he felt. 

They were real. No one was going to take that from him, he refused to let anyone take that from him. 

His eyes watered, but he could see again, the white blindness fading until he was left with painful tears falling down his aching cheeks. There was no way it was just some nightmare, he would be able to tell the difference between those two realities.. Even- even if it would make more sense. Arthur wouldn't betray him- not in real life. Betrayal.. Lewis would be furious, even if it were just some petty dream... Why would he dream something like that? Lewis's eyes widened, an unforgiving numbness setting on his shoulders as he stared past his fingers into the bleak space.

 

He was angry at Arthur in the dream, he _did_  initially write it off as a dream. Breathless, Lewis gripped the blankets with a new ferocity. He wrote it off as a dream inside of his- it. Then... then it wouldn't make sense, regardless! There was no way he would be able to recall; every aspect of a dream- not even a lucid dream, because that doesn't explain why he woke up in an alley, electrocuted and unable to breath, unable to speak any language. Lewis took another breath, shallow and lighter on himself to avoid a second coughing fit. The blanket was scratchier now, his frayed nerves holding onto him tightly and refusing to let go. If it wasn't a dream, what on earth was it, what in god's name brought him from a flame covered highway into the deepest abyss he could ever imagine to exist. What caused the events to spiral in such a way that he would be dead set on- on murdering his friend. Why. Why would Arthur murder him? Sleep hung from his eyelids, and Lewis leaned his head back, relishing the softness of the pillow as a new set of thoughts flooded his brain. So much so he felt as if he was drowning in static. Pouring out of his eyes as Lewis forgot to muffle a sob, sliding out a pathetic whine. Arthur murdered him? Vivi- Vivi forgot him.. did she forget? Or was it that she was taken, forced to forget? 

What happened? Rolling over, Lewis wailed quietly, the ache in his chest blossoming to accept new emotional weights to hold him down and carry him back into a coma. A deep state of nothing and everything, all at once. 

 

 

"I- Duet, why is he crying?" Chloe asked meekly, hiding away in her hood as she avoided glancing over at the door leading to the room where Duet had put him. She was still thrown off by finding him in the streets, screaming like a bat out of hell. Initially she guessed it was because he was on something. Sure he was the most responsible person in the Mystery skulls, but he was also friends with Vivi, who was notorious for her alcohol tolerance and her party days. Her boss didn't say anything, leaning their head against the door and staring intensely at their phone, as silent as a mouse as they waited, pressing their knuckles against the wooden door. How did they do that without making a noise? Before Chloe could finish that thought, Duet made a small noise and stepped away from the door. 

"Ah, of course.." They murmured in a hushed sigh, before carefully walking away from the space so that way they were closer to Chloe, "He must have been dealing with something before his sudden excursion. I wouldn't think too much about it, he's fallen asleep again." Duet explained, but the tone of voice made Chloe shift uncomfortably, were they upset? She wouldn't blame them if they were, but it did make her nervous. Suddenly having your young employee burst in with an unconscious man, on top of being very late now.. She sighed and straightened up, thinking back to her blue haired co-worker.

"Should we call Vivi? It is- it is her boyfriend. She at least has a right to know, then we can get his family to come pick him up, and-"

"That won't be necessary." 

"Huh? W-why not?" Duet glanced over at her and shook their head, giving her barely a glance under their thick hair. 

"Lewis will be fine, I've already contacted the Pepper family, and I will be returning him home later this evening. I thought it would be best to let him have some time to recollect himself so that way he wouldn't have to be so emotionally distraught in front of his family." What kind of logic is that? Chloe frowned and glanced back toward the door, wanting to peer into the room and ask him herself, but- too nervous to do anything involving the man. It was horrifying, how he just- collapsed, staring at her like a mad man with no hint of stopping anytime soon. It was near terrifying. Just thinking of it made her want to throw up for some reason, in fact.. she hasn't felt alright all day, or, at the very least, she hasn't felt stable since she had to drag Lewis into the shop. Listening to him mumble incoherent things that made her head dizzy. She still felt dizzy! As if time was running a bit slower, or kept slowing down until her head slammed against the counter. Why that is was beyond her, she just wanted to go home so that way she wouldn't have to think of anything going on. Lewis would be fine. No matter how many times she repeated that, it just didn't feel right.. Duet walked away, down one of the book isles and into their office. Should... she should message Vivi. Just go and tell her that something was wrong. Duet wouldn't get too mad at her, right? Right..? Taking a deep breath, she turned her head away, before she snaked her hand into her pocket, and rapidly began to type into her phone without even sparing a glance, instead keeping her eyes trained on Duets office door. But as soon as she sent the message- probably full of typos but what did Vivi expect from her, really- the reality that Vivi would actually show up then hit her full force. Shit. Vivi would probably just come out with why she even came in in the first place! Oh no! Quick, dummy, just do something! Without looking, Chloe began typing even more, spewing out excuses that Duet didn't want her to know and to not make a scene. One ping sounded, and Chloe forced herself to glance down. Vivi's simple message- 'Okay, I'll pick him up soon, thank you!' sent her stomach into a mess of knots. This wasn't good, Not at all- What should she do? It wouldn't help her to call, or to say that Duet would be mad but what can she do- 

 

The creakiness of the door ripped through the bookstore like a growl. A shiver curling under her clothes like slime. Chloe was suddenly very thankful for the goggles in her cosplay- it hid her panicked facial expressions well. Duet stepped out of the office gracefully, striding with perfect steps as they approached effortlessly.

"Is everything alright, Chloe? You seem frantic." SHIT.

"I- I'm fine, I just feel like I'm going to throw up." That was quick, and partially true- god dammit there's another spell- Chloe gripped the counter and squeezed tightly to stop herself from fidgeting. Duet stared down at her intensely, but nodded their head. 

"You did mention that you were feeling ill, didn't you. Why don't you head home early today. It'll be good for you to rest, especially after what you've gone through today." They explained, but their eyes were glazed, they weren't even really looking at her, just talking to the open air. Part of her couldn't help but be offended but the second was jumping for any opportunity to take off from this building with a sleeping and possibly drunk- intoxicated dude.. and soon to be an angry girlfriend in search for said dude. She didn't question it, just stood up and booked it. Leaving Duet in her dust. She's going to be feeling much better when she can get some sleep- god why is she so slow?

Duet sighed tiredly, clearly agitated, and took Chloe's place in the seat, setting up the baby monitor they had brought in last minute as well as the paper before them. This behavior was peculiar from the man, they've never spoken much besides short conversations when Vivi had been present. In those times, they would never suspect Lewis of being someone to partake in drug use. A more likely scenario, although a bit frightening to think of, perhaps he had been drugged. It wouldn't be too unbelievable, there's been recent activity of increased kidnapping attempts, perhaps Lewis was targeted for such things. They would have to question the man furthur, although, it would most likely be better if they brought him to the hospital, to see what is currently left in his system. Duet glared at the wet stain on the floor where Lewis had vomited, unsure if maybe they should have kept a sample, as disgusting as that might have been. It was mostly an accumulation of water and a strange substance, it burnt a stain into the hardwood. 

The hospital could probably care for him much better than they could. With a heavy sigh, Duet leaned over to the phone, prepared to dial an uber for Lewis, hoping it wouldn't be too much. Lewis would pitch a fit if it was more than twenty. Their eyes suddenly flick up at the jingle of the front door, and they bounced with surprise.

"Vivi, is there a new manga that had shipped in?" 

"Uh- well yes, there is, but i'm not here for that," Her face was practically unreadable, which could only mean that she was determined, "I caught wind that Lewis was here." Ah. That must be why Chloe left in such a hurry.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Finally done with Lewis's initial chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed this, cause I am!  
> Next up~ Vivi!


	3. Vivi Verse - I'm blue-

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a strange turn of events, Vivi is caught sleeping in again.

The rain poured heavily inside of the window, soaking the blanket  covering her legs and startling awake the small dog sleeping at the f oot of the bed. Eyes opening slowly at the softest sound of his whine, she sits up.  Retrieving her glasses, reaching out and petting Mystery  without noticing the water against her calf- until her vision cleared enough.  With a shout, she’s up, leaping up to knock off every book piled  under the sheets. Effectively knocking over the dog and most of the  pillows, quickly disregarded when she slammed the window shut- taking  the quick moment to look down and see the mess made. With a half sigh-  half chortle, she waves it off, gathering up dry blankets and dragging  them behind her as she moved across her room- a chair positioned  beside a couch, both occupied by two men. However, she knew neither  would mind her taking a spot at the base of one- in fact, one was  awake._

 

_"Vivi- what... bat fly in?" The groggy whispering brought a smile to her face, and she gave him two finger guns as she plopped ungracefully into a nest of pillows and blankets._

 

_ "Rainwater actually, no big deal, i'm just gonna nestle here." She  explained, watching with amusement as Mystery padded over with a yawn,  hoping into his lap and possibly hitting his groin, based on the  strangled half-yell he choked back seconds later. Laughing, Vivi  crossed her legs and watched as Arthur struggled to get comfortable  around the snoozing dog once more. Didn't take long, since Arthur  would be contentedly petting the mutt in just a few seconds, grumbling  something under his breath before taking in the scene scattered across  the floor. _

 

_ "Yeah- rain water, can't believe the storm only ravaged your bed and  not the whole house." Vivi rolled her eyes, propping her feet up on  the couch, where another person -who she didn’t recognize- was blissfully  _ _unaware of the events that just transpired._  

 

_ "Hush, I may have freaked out when I saw that it was hailing cats and  dogs- it would have ruined my projects." _

 

_ "Yeah, now they're destroyed on the floor, but at least you did it."  _

 

_ "Choke on my whole ass, Kingsmen."  The two shared a few more quick quips before settling down again, although, Vivi seemed discontented with their situation now, as she was now lying fully awake and making out constellations in the ceiling. "Think there's anything that kinda- uh... kinda.." The sudden babbling caught Arthur's attention, who turned off his phone so they would be in the moonlight, the word just on the tip of Vivi's tongue, "Lurks! Do you think there's any new cryptids that just lurk?" _

 

_"What- like you in group chats?"_

 

_"I was more or less referring to Mothman, but whatever helps you sleep at night." She waved him off, sleepiness dragging at her eyes and pulling her into a deep abyss._

 

_"Nothing helps me sleep at night." There was a twinge of seriousness mixed in with the obvious joke, bringing Vivi to quickly shoot back._

 

_"Try walks-"_

 

_"I seriously thought you were about to recommend me yoga-"_

 

 

_ "Shut up. I go on walks whenever I cant sleep." Vivi got out quickly, just so that way Arthur couldn't interrupt her again. After a few seconds of silence, Mystery whined, and blankets and limbs were being untangled from each other. Cracking open her eyes, Vivi jumped at Arthur suddenly hovering over her, shoes- slippers in hand, his foot bouncing on her chubby belly. She swatted quickly, but she missed by a hair. Arthur then looked down at her expectantly, before finally vocalizing his actions. _

 

_ "Lets go." _

__

_ "Seriously?" _

__

_ "Yeah, it's dark out and you're awake." _

__

_ "Its raining." _

__

_ "You suggested." Vivi scowled, finally pushing herself off the floor and bumping hips with him irritatedly.  _

__

_ "Buzz off, lemme grab my umbrella- and dont wake him." She pointed at the lumps under the blankets, and this time Vivi couldn't distinguish if it was a pile of clothes or not as she slid across the room and began digging through her closet. She tossed a poncho toward Arthur as he slinked behind her, and then made sure to float past him without intentionally knocking him over. He still fell. The guy sleeping still did not stir. Shouldn't it just be Arthur anyway? Unless he brought a friend or a hobo. Vivi couldn't tell which one she'd be happier about,  Arthur did have a lot of odd friends, but would he really bring in a stranger into the house?  _

 

_ Vivi didn't have much time to question it, as Arthur already had slipped on his- poncho? Since when did this bastard own a poncho? Since when did he wear purple?  _

 

_ "Wanna head to the park? I heard that at night they feel much weirder because they're meant to be used only during the day.." Arthur babbled on, whispering as he snuck past Vivi's parents room to not wake them. The walls a washed out blue hue, but Vivi couldn't help but double take, the stretch of pink shadows falling behind them. Maybe it was due to how tired she was- did- did she have her glasses on now? Swatting her fingers against her nose, Vivi became acutely she left them on the table in her room.. And that there really was pink shadows. Neat. _

__

_ "Yeah, that’d be no problem!” Voice nearly silent, and she latched onto that fact, refusing to let up as a knot tangled in her gut. The tangles found their way to her head, impossibly tight coils linking to her every move. Vivi slowed her steps as her gaze refocus, landing squarely on Arthur’s back, making out the moonlight against his messy hair. Outside the window, the rain had started to cease. Maybe they should take Mystery with them? The growing anxiety gave her limbs a shake- was she shivering? No that didn’t make sense. It was warm in here- was she sick? The door clicked open, the downpour rumbling through the entire house.  _

__

__ “So, are you planning on doing anything with...?”    
  


_ Vivi waited before glancing over at him, raising an eyebrow while waiting for a response. The wind picked up slightly and the rain whined and howled, Arthur only shot her a confused glance.  _

__

_ "Are you?" _

 

_ "Didn't hear you right, who?" _

__

_ Arthur shrugged and opened his mouth, only for the wind to once again whip against them deafeningly. Grasping her bed head, Vivi peered at him again through squinted eyes and made a gesture for him to say anything. This time, shielding her ears and leaning over, "Sorry, once more."  _

__

_ Arthur made a distinct noise of displeasure before complying. Wind did pick up again, but not loud enough to block out Arthur's voice, which made it much weirder when Vivi didn't hear anything, only feeling a few quick breaths on her ear and cheek. Shrugging, Vivi quickly decided that she didn't want to focus on it, instead motioning to the street for them to cross.  _

__

_ "Ah- them," she mumbled, running through a mental list of everyone who could possibly be the person Arthur might've been talking about, "Not much really. I don't think we have anything planned-" The two stepped off, strolling across the road as they did, Arthur suddenly perked up, glancing toward the streetlights, casting the same glowing pink shadows as in her house.  _

 

_ "Nothing, nothing at all? He's been mentioning a da-"   _

__

_ She hit the ground. Screeching tires and a rumbling engine ripping into her ears. White. White everywhere and pain- Vivi pushed herself to her elbows and tried to make out anything through unforgiving lights. The questions on the tip of her tongue dried. The dread in her chest burst. She was screaming. When did she start screaming? Vivi couldn't tell. Blood staining the pavement. Arthur's ribs popped out of his skin. Exposing flesh- exposing bone, and his heart. Unable to make out anything from the rain puddles, tears springing into her eye. The pink shadows mixing harshly with the black exterior of the spiked tires. Black sticking out from the blues. The door flew open, a shoe planting into the puddle. Vivi couldn't see it's face past the sobs. It wasn't looking at her. It wasn't looking anywhere- only at the mangled arm sticking out if the under. It was the only part of his body she could make out. Everything else blurred into some fabric with textures she couldn't define. The person- a man, wore a suit. It was on fire. Their face was a mix of white and pink. Too bright to look at. Colors faded into one another until they didn't exist at all, just a world of washed out blues. Finally, her voice came back, just as the  driver rose his foot, smashing it into Arthur's wrist.  _

__

_ "ARTHUR!" _

__

Vivi's eyes opened, breath rushing out in pants. She stared at the ceiling for who knows how long, eyes glued to the spotty textures. Unable to comprehend anything.

__

Everything was blue. 

_Everything was blue._ The sheets flew off, a yip and a bark tearing her gaze to the right- Mystery rolling onto his paws- _Fur light blue._ Vivi couldn't stop the shriek, which amplified even more when her own skin came to view. Blue.

Blueblueblue- _EVERYTHING WAS BLUE!_

__

She jolts, eyes darting to every part of her room, the repeating washed hues made her stomach twist, and she desperately wanted to close her eyes. Fall back into an endless reality. Throwing out her hands, Vivi throws herself off her bed, races to the other side of the room, accidentally taking the blanket with her as she turned to look at her closet. It was always filled with colors- always! 

__

Eye's wide, Vivi sat there with her jaw hanging open, scanning the assortments of sweaters and skirts, all while her chest heaved raggedly. How- how was this possible? She blinked rapidly, rubbing her eyes violently. When she opened them again- no change. Before she could grasp her hair in some attempt at ripping her attention elsewhere, a series of voices and urgent footsteps bringing her gaze to the door, just before it flung open. What did she expect? Her mother, father? Both stained blue, as if they suffocated- as if the entire world was made of water. Vivi couldn't brace herself for anyone. It flew open, orange hair popping in before anything else. Orange- white spots bloomed in her vision- head smacking into the ground, blinding  her while a familiar voice shrieked urgently. Heart slamming against her chest, the paint splotches on her ceiling- impromptu sunsets… came to life, nearly melting off the plaster in swirls and rays. Bright enough that she could reach out and touch them- until the same bright-  _orange_  blur blocked it.

"Vivi, jesus christ- are you okay?"

Voice lost in her throat, she blinked dazed.. slowly turning her head before her gaze wandered past the obviously more important thing hovering a few feet from her face. Green streamers tangling with glimmering and white fairy lights, and that lead her gaze to the spiraling posters filled with neon monsters. Gore and blood covering the next tattered few, strung up against another mural of a willow tree surrounded by blue and violent puffs- flowers. 

"N... no..?" Her eyes were shifting too slowly, moving like someone was taking a shutter picture, which did nothing but increase her daze, more so when the orange shifted and her arms rose without warning. Slung around their neck and shoulder, they tugged and hoisted her up to her feet. Mostly they did- Vivi's head flopped to the side and she glared out at the air in front of her. Every step they took only convincing her legs that it would be better to collapse. Lie down on the couch or the chair or- _her head was ludicrously fuzzy, she really needed some pain medication in her system otherwise this headache would never go away._  The pillows- a (sickening) aqua color reminding her of the nightmare she had. The long pink shadows everywhere and the truck that crushed Arthu- 

Arthur.  

As if she wasn't panicked and freaked out enough, her eyes shot open, and darted to the vest  firmly wedged between her and the said man, who's hand reached under her armpit, trying to make her take a seat. She just wasn't having that though, refusing to tear her gaze away- and jerking away herself. Hitting the bedside table, Vivi firmly grasped for anything, desperation bursting in her and with a tingling buzz in her ear. She barely had a moment to make out the mess of colors that shook and collided with one another. 

In a single breath, she had her hands raised and ready, about to grasp at Arthur's shirt to get a balance, when her knee gave out, and making a small noise she hit the bed again. Everything in the room spinning around her. 

Arthur pushed her down by her shoulders, holding her still, "Vivi are you alright?" He asks, worried. She blinks, heart finally slowing down enough for her to get a sense of what she was doing. Gripping the sheets, she leaned back and tried to talk in the coolest tone she could.

"Hey man- er.. mind filling me in on why you're here?" She asked nervously, Arthur furrowed his eyebrows, clearly unimpressed.  


 

"For starters, you passed out." He lifted a finger, the  added a second, "And- you're parents had invited me over since you've been.... wanting me over a lot? Is everything alright? Me and Lewis are worried." The ringing returned, and so did the rushing wind that came with Arthur being hit by a dream truck. Because of this, she did nothing to fill the silence except stare at him. Vivi must have been staring at his weird, because his expression changed to reflect his usual confusion, and this time, her own too. 

"Did- that come out weird? Why are you loo-"

"I don't know who Lewis is." The annoyance in her tone made her

flinch, an emptiness in her mind and stomach that seemed to permeate- how many times had she had to tell him that. Shifting so she was leaning against the wall and the messed up pillows, Vivi took in the messy appearance of her room. Did she already manage to trash it? Why were they even there?

"When did we get ba-"

"Lewis, you're boyfriend."

/ _How many times has she heard that before?_ / 

"Nope, still don't know him, Arthie. So why are we back? I thought we had a few more cases to explore." Grumbling, she flung her legs to stand up- trying to move on as if she didn’t just bust her ass seconds ago- Arthur’s hands pressed against her forehead and Shoulder. _Was he trying to see of she was sick?_ Growling, she glared. 

“Arthur, I’m fine. I just slipped- do it all the time! Now what’s wrong?” He narrowed his eyes, baffled. Palms falling and resting on her shoulders, keeping all of his attention directly on her. 

“Vivi, what’s the month?” 

“Gah.. it’s the 13th of October.”

“It’s August.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY! So this isn't dead yet!  
> And it's only going to get more confusing from here, so ain't that something-  
> Comments are greatly appreciated, but don't feel pressured, okay~


	4. Mystery Verse- A Song and Starry Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mystery has had many years of life, many friends, many families, and many, many times he's wanted to smack someone.  
> This may be the worst case yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! So~ I probably should say sorry for so much inactivity, schools been stressful, BUT!! Im working on having these chapters get out faster- that, or I may put this one specifically on a hiatus so I can work on it more consistently.  
> I hope this chapter does aNYTHING to explain the odd idea I have, and helps make the future chapters make more sense.  
> I hope you enjoy!!!

If Mystery could smack them, he would, especially with the recent stunt they pulled. Honestly, Mystery wasn't sure what they were planning when they decided to vanish half way through the day, but when the fabric of reality bent and twisted, Vivi's body flashing until it was nothing but mist and smoke, he knew it was going to be a laundry list of difficult tasks to get anything back on track. The sway of his heavy tails did nothing to deter that fact, and Mystery's gaze wandered uncertainly between unrecognizable structures. He turned his head up to the starry abyss surrounding him, before Mystery's fur rippled with dread. 

"Where are you three.." Mystery pondered aloud, voice low and silent, echoing softly off the slowly orbiting stars. Nose hovering just above the ground, Mystery searched for the distinct scents of roses, car grease, and incense. As soon as he picked up on that, the paths of stars leading all around will become easier to traverse. Except the path he was now traveling had Mystery's ears flayed out, alert for any possible noises to indicate another presence, more or less since the possibility of it being a human or earthly monster was slim. Those types of creatures rarely frequented these halls, only eldritch horrors and angels, and even then, it was a rarity. 

Nose hovering over the ground, Mystery breathed in deeply, the smallest whiff able to send him sprinting. His only issue was that the anxiety welled in his shoulders was threatening to cause his legs to buckle under him. These places were too long and endless, without proper assistance, it'd be nearly impossible to navigate, even more so when exhausted. 

Thankfully, the winding and waning trails composed of scents and light was enough to guide him. If only they wouldn't fade from view and conjoin and send Mystery down wrong turns in this twisted maze. 

Grease and spices and candle smoke... intertwined and glimmering faintly against the clear surface under his paw. Grunting softly, Mystery glared down into the abyss, raking the patterns for anything that would indicate an otherworldly presence. They twinkled in sync, drawing Mystery's gaze across the space until... the smallest shimmer of a star caught his eye. A shooting star, colliding and spiralling with fragmented versions of themselves. A smile curled Mystery's lip back, padding forward before his pace sped up. Following the twisting star, Mystery baely tore his gaze away from it as he he glanced ahead, following this trajectory, it should continue on a linear and narrow path.. straight to... 

_Perfect_.

The whisping sparkles took the form of a narrow and supercharged mass of particles, spiralling outward to a destination slightly out of sight, but close enough that Lewis could almost make out dancing pitches mimicking voices and speech... sounding all too distorted to be from his humans. It only brought him to bound forward faster, claws clipping away against the glass. A chattered echo of a near perfect laugh did little but remind him of the unfortunate decision those two idiots did. A scoff caught in his throat, and Mystery redirected his gaze to the spiralling particles, taking note of the distinct chances in color and frequency. One for each, intermingling and blending into separate unique and complicated spirals. _How did they not know to perform those rituals. The streams reset... Imbeciles!_  Mystery grit his teeth and took advantage of the burst of frantic energy to leap forward, nearly risking the sight of his lost family. How _dare_  they do something so stupid! The second he would get a chance, he would surely scold them... Maybe only stopping when they finally get over the shock of a speaking fox beast, but what was the chance that they may all correct this? A deep anger burned in the depths of his soul from, raking his mind for any reasons they would do something as risky as that! 

Except the answer was clear to him. 

It was so obvious as to why these kids would tamper with the very fabric of reality. 

They were humans.

And human were legendary for their bonds. The risks they'd go to protect one another and reverse the impossible, it fueled them, brought them the strength to traverse the world and hunt and bring themselves to their fabricated top. The only issue was dependant on how far they were willing to risk their futures and existences for one another. 

The lingering scent of peppers sizzling against a strong lemon stench reached Mystery's nose, and the corners of his lips pulled back dangerously, a snarling growl ripping through him with a tremendous yip. 

_Lewis was there! He was still here, despite his own death...!_

Mystery was sure that they would bring the apocalypse if left unattended, and if the durable fragility of this place meant anything, he was correct. Duet was a fool to tamper with these magic's, but it has been all their family line has known...! Mystery couldn't blame the two for being so dead set on performing the ritual. 

He just prayed they wouldn't. 

The image of their bodies becoming wretched and malformed spiked in his eyes mind, bloodied and frozen, torn apart by the fabric of their own reality. 

They would be a feast if he didn't find them soon...

Each of the lines- glowing prominently and brightly- finally came to a stop, balled into one mass of a star. Paws pounding heavily against the ground, he twisted to a rough halt. When he stopped sliding from the velocity of his movements, Mystery began pawing frantically at the glass cover blocking him from his three humans- children. 

Their voices loud and clear. Mystery Took a long and deep breath as he stared, able to make out the lingering rise of rain and an old spell book. Whining, he could make out the fearful and confused energies, Vivi.

Vivi was truly the most unfortunate here... never had a chance to know what on earth would become of her within the time of a week. Blind to every secret clouding the three. If anyone would be able to help him fix this terrible turn of events, it would be her. 

Then again, Lewis and Arthur probably didn't realize they wouldn't be the only ones brought back to the past. 

Growling angrily, Mystery held back his shriek, paws pressed to the surface so hard he could make out the mix matched- rhythmic strain of beating hearts in his claws.

In the mass of the star beneath him, three small- but distinguishable anchors followed those rythmes respectfully. Lewis's was the most clearly defined, replicating the heart that it had taken in his death... Except now, it lacked the usual yellow appearance it possessed earlier in his undead life -a sign of priority and vengeance. Instead, it glowed a brilliant lilac. Beating the loudest and most rapidly, it was orbiting with two others. Sparking and rapidly shifting metallic bulbs raced around it, circling tightly along the heart's humps. Mystery could vividly recalled how Arthur nearly collapsed from sleep deprivation behind the wheel, each night and day dedicated to his friend... a friend whose end he unknowingly caused. The poor unfortunate soul, who cared too much for others.. too much for his own good. It took Lewis a long while to fully realize that. Whimpering softly, Mystery turned his gaze away from the intermingled anchors, focusing now on the soft, crystalized foam whispering slowly at its base, circling around them, and tying them all together. Even if it didn't realize it, the electricity wouldn't pass it's comforting atmosphere. That foam was the both the prevention of their own downfalls and the missing link to correcting all of their mistakes. 

Mystery muffled a growl and tried to breath in more of their scents. Dusted books, lemon tea, cinnamon cakes. Vivi and Arthur and Lewis.... they were all lost.. all _gone_.

_They weren't gone yet. Mystery would be damned if he let them perish due to his own lack of guidance._  He'll get them back. He _will_.

They'll fix this. 

But first, he needed to make sense of the multitude and repeating voices. 

There was ten. 

Bowing his head, Mystery took a deep and solid breath, focusing all of his energy into making out the differing folds. Only when his snout was pressed firmly to the clear surface did he start to feel the difference. A riveting change of pace that indicated the multiplicity of one of their hearts. 

The purple locket shaped heart, fast and loud..... Four beats overlapping. The riveting electrical charge sparked with three sections, and the encompassing foam reflected the amount in a threefold of stress upon its own beats. 

So, their timelines did separate. 

This would be more difficult that he previously thought. And of course, Mystery couldn't even trespass into one. 

Not without help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo~ Finally got to this part, I've been excited to write from Mstery's perspective for a WHILE- so I hope I can say it was relatively successful!  
> Also~ Are you a Mystery person, or a Shiromori person?


	5. Arthur verse- Difficulties in relation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur successfully manages to save Lewis, but in now plagued by a series of confusing questions and worrisome results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's taken me a month to get this done. Oops!  
> Also on an unrelated note, It feels kinda awkward titling these chapters by "__- Verse" Due to the new fic "Arthurverse"  
> Aw well, im looking forward to the summer so I can consistently write this!  
> Enjoy!!  
> Edit: SO FUN THING HAPPENED! I POSTED THIS CHAPTER TWICE- And the thing is, I completely forgot I posted it a first time, until someone pointed it out. The second thing is, I reworked a TON in the second posting of this chapter, so imma put it here

Hunched over himself, Arthur shivered and trembled for the intensity of the realization. A smile stretched across his face so large it hurt. He was nearly shaking as he hugged the phone to god chest. Lewis was alive. He was _alive- he wasn’t going to die or-_  A loud, whining strain snaps Arthur’s attention. The phones message, blurred and watered down by his tears, shoved itself to the back burner as he forced his mind to switch focuses. The door shook- the hinges creaking and threatening to snap the once sturdy nails. The remaining waves of relief melting away into the a cold dread sitting in his stomach. Arthur’s nails began digging into the leather seats, frozen stiff while his heart raced.

Lewis was trying to open the door, hand mercilessly yanking at the handle as he switched between looking directly at him or the door. Mouth crooked in a worried frown. 

But the doors locked! He can’t force open the door! He can weaken it but Lewis can’t get in unless he-

A familiar click jolts his ears, followed by the beep of the four doors unlocking with a clack. 

The door swings open, and without thinking, Arthur slammed against the door behind him, cringing at the grating screech. Tear filled eyes blurred out Lewis’s form, but he could recognize the distinct instinct that _he’s losing space-_  

Arthur gasps and cringes, a buzz of sensation splintering through his scalp. Blinding him and making his left arm shake unbearably. An intense and pointed hum peaking when he could practically feel the heat of Lewis’s fingers about to grab him. He didn’t expect it to suddenly cease with the small gasp that was distinctly Lewis. The space opened, and Arthur cracked an eye open without thinking, only to cringe even more at the distress radiating from his friend. And yet, he still couldn't shake the claustrophobia. His thoughts frayed, barely halting when his vision cleared more, and he could clearly see the shifts from sorrow and confusion.

"A-Arthur..?" He starts, the smallest hints of familiar wrath melted away into the prominent panic and dread. His fingers twitch, and Lewis's gaze flickers hesitantly between the distance between them and him. Swallowing, Lewis barricade him in, hands clasping the sides of the door- as if keeping himself locked. Which did nothing to stop the ragging breath. Despite his hands shaking mercilessly, and shoving himself against the door even more, Arthur forces his strained hand to wave. His- his _left arm_ \- weak and tired and shaking too much to be normal anxiety. How many times has it been torn from his shoulder? The teeth scarred so much he can almost feel the indents of what would have been scars now- Too many wounds...! Blinking rapidly, Arthur slammed his hand back down, telling his mind to ignore the aching nerves. _His body shouldn't remember the pain..! Why wasn't it ignoring the pain? Was it because of the time travel-_

"Arthur...? Arthur are you okay?" 

Oh no. Oh no, oh no, that's _bad. C'mon Arthur, focus! FOCUS._  Arthur's jaw tightened, restricting his voice to a meager whimper. What kind of explanation can he give to excuse that? Mouth craning, Arthur choked on his words. _What did he do-_ Love confession, breakdown, locked in van... All things that don't exactly add up to mental stability. Arthur's teeth grit and he flinches again at his racing thoughts, grip tightening on the leather beneath him when his screwing thoughts halt. A jarring sense of discombobulated reality hitting him full force. 

_He told Lewis he loved him._

He.... _told_  Lewis.. he _loved him._

_Why the fuck did he do that...?_

_Because it's one of the only things that works. It prevents him from focusing on the cave, only you. He would leave. He ALMOST survived those times!_

_Now he's just stuck with the fact that Lewis is now alive, focused on him, and knowing fully well that Arthur just said that._  It wasn't like it wasn't true- but now he was deep in a hole that rivaled his grave...! Sweat rolled down his back. Gasping heavily, Arthur scrambled to stay still.

"Arthur..!" The anxious growl sent a spiral of anxiety through his body, rumbling and rushing unlike most he felt. Lewis was now gripping the door frame, tight enough that his knuckles were turning white. As if he was holding himself back from launching at Arthur, who -as far as Lewis knew- may be having a break in reality. Quick! Stop staring! Do something..! 

"L-lewis..?" He started dumbly, the jumble of his thoughts guiding him, "You- you good buddy?" Lewis blinked, dumbfoundment radiating off him enough to prove that Arthur did a poor job of proving his sanity. If he had a gun, he really wouldn't mind shooting himself and just ending his misery. And.... effectively destroy the thirty attempts to get to this very point. He was slipping - at least in the eyes Lewis, and now Vivi and Mystery closing in on them. _Great. Great, just perfect._  His stomach did somersaults and he whips his attention back to the increasingly worried man before him. Arthur's fingers tangle in his hair, and he spouts, "I- I-! That was a lie- Im not okay! I'm far from okay bu-" His scalp starts to ache from pulling, but it was quickly halted by a mop of blue hair forcefully wedging itself between the door and Lewis. Thankfully making Lewis move back, but unfortunately snatching away the last of his precious space. Vivi climbs in, ignoring both Lewis and Arthur's pleas, and- _Oh no she was right there- oh god-!_ Arthur cant strain his neck back any further when two icy cold hands slaps against his cheeks, yanking his head forth. A disgusting crack rippled through his body, leaving way for a splintering pain.

"V-Vivi-!!" His chin snaps violently to the left, forcing a wheeze through him before it was then ripped to the right. A growl reaches his ears when Arthur flings out his left arm, expecting a hard, cold metallic and not the warm flesh. It did nothing. Vivi jerks back, before snatching his wrist and pinning it to his thigh. 

"Cool it!" She hisses under her breath, clasping her palms over his cheeks again, yanking him forward. Arthur grinds his teeth and thrashes away from her. "Hey! Stop, i'f trying to see if you're hurt!"

 Arthur glares at her, "I can't!... You'll shatter my jaw!" Blinking rapidly, slams himself back. New bruises begin to form. Sweat rolling down his face like bullets. His scattered and frazzled state of mind did very little to focus. Arthurs grip tightens against the leather seat. So tightly, that an awful strain battles for his attention.

A scowl adorning her face, Vivi readjusted his arm and held it against the car wall, and then forcefully got in his face.  _What on earth is she doing?_  Staring into his eye- 

Adrenaline rockets through Arthurs chest. He jolts back and twists his head away, wanting nothing more than to get her away from his face. His skin prickles with sweat and his fingers threatens to snap from a burst of chilling sensations in his left hand. Arthur violently trembles. A ringing pierces his ears- Is Vivi talking? Her lips were moving and-

"Arthur? Are you even listening to me?" Vivi asks, eyebrows furrowing together. A mixture of worry and agitation across her cheeks in a familiar look of disdain. It's been too long since he last saw it, even if it was yesterday. Who knew it could be unbelievably relieving and dreadful all at once?

But, that relief or dread didn't translate to something pitiful or sympathetic, because instead, Arthur snarls.

"No! Of course not-" _Why was he so mad?_  "I can barely think with you knocking me around like a damn ragdoll! Give a man some space!" Arthur scrambles to sit upright- or as much as he can- to put enough space between him and Vivi, grasping for anything which could give him any sort of leverage over the woman trying oh so precariously to strangle him at this rate, "Why do you grabbing me so much?"

Her face scrunches up, "Trying to see if you had a schizophrenic break down!" 

Face falling, Arthur barks, "How is getting in my face going to help?" accompanied by an airy wheeze. Doing nothing but showing off just how anxious and terrified and confused he was- but he can't even deal with it unless he was given some space..! The claustrophobia was bound to give him a heart attack and Arthur definitely didn't have enough willpower to go through another loop again.

 Just barely being able to peer over Vivi's shoulder, Arthur caught a glimpse of Lewis standing there, eyebrows furrowed with worry and in a loop of emotional distress. _Essentially trapping him in._  Arthurs gaze flickers to the dog positioned right beside Lewis. Because if Mystery tried squeezing in as well and getting in between all of them, Arthur would surely die by any means. If Lewis took just a _few steps back_  and let them both out, then he would be more than okay to answer any questions or go through whatever extensive check up Vivi had in store.

Except Lewis wasn't, and Vivi was pinning him there, and he still could hardly rasp a breath. 

 _Wasn't this like the first few runs?_  The odd train of thought floats through his head, quieting all of his rampaging thoughts, and instead bringing up all of the terror and panic he had somehow managed to carry throughout the forty runs. This was the.... 

His memory fails him. He can barely retrace the morning  to draw from his memories to formulate a proper answer, and Arthur is left sitting there with his mouth agape. And the quiet buzzes of insight return.

 _This is the first time his mistakes couldn't be rewritten._  Everything he did from this point on will have specific and dire consequence. He no longer had the safety net of a  and if Arthur wanted to get out of this with everyone alive, he'll have to be careful. His chest tightens- throat closing along with it. _Get out, get out, get out, get OUT, GET OUT-!_

Arthur's right hand smacks against the door squished behind him. The cool metal and plastic combination roughly rubbed against too sensitive skin. Shocking waves pulsates through his fingers and along his shoulder, setting off every alert to _run_.

That surging panic was enough to make his ringing ears worsen- preparing him for a bitter end at the hands of a frail and broken heart that throbbed painfully against his chest- 

_Click_

"Arthur-!" 

His head smacks against something hard. The ring muted and silent. The image of Vivi's face- a distinct flavor of worry and... fear? consuming her features, hanging off a ledge above him. It didn't make any sense, at first, until her form faded into a dark blue, peppered with white spots. If those spots actually existed or was just his eyes flashing in attempt to recover from stress was beyond him. All Arthur did know, was that the world spun and swirled, and his body wanted to follow in that.

 _Huh, did he actually open it? That's new._  

Before Arthur could dwell on the unlikely outcome of his half baked plan, a loud and sharp bark rips through his ears, alerting his half scattered brain that there was now three, _very_  concerned individuals rushing toward him. Arthur swallowed shallowy and focused on moving his head, except the smallest shift had brought on a deeply rooted pain through his head. The direction of voices scrambled through the air. Tickling Arthur's ears, urging him to move and run. But along with it, a throbbing, splintering pain rockets through his back, awakening a long line of bruising muscle. Even more concerning, was that he couldn't breathe properly, and yet a bitter laugh slips past his lips without a second thought. 

"We could run." His thoughts provide, hissing in every way that Arthur would have compared it to a sneaky business man. He could hardly move and his brain wants him to do that? No way.

...He could listen to it. 

 _Oh yeah? Then what? Run into the dead forest until your friends are positive you've been possessed? Mistakenly exorcise your soul and leave your corpse as an open vessel to any demons lurking around?_  Yeah, that's not a good idea. Finally regaining a sense of control of his actions, or his limbs at the very least, Arthur scrapes his elbow against the gravel in attempt to lay his hand flat on the ground. His head slowly rises with it. Training his vision to focus, Arthur finally catches sight of the gray hole leading into the van, and the blue, Vivi-shaped mass preparing to lunge.

Consciousness snaps back into him like a bullet, "Wait- What are you-" His lungs must have been burning now. Despite the wave of dizziness causing him to sway, Arthur narrowly kicks away enough to avoid Vivi launching out at him. Arthur flinches as a dark, and almost evil look he is becoming intensely familiar with. Now it being just centimeters away from his. Except now, he couldn't open- fall? out of a door to avoid her. Her arms wrapped around his entire body, pinning his arms to his sides and restraining him. 

Demanding questions catch in Arthur’s throat as VIvi head snaps back, barking orders at a purple- at _Lewis_.

"I got him!" Eyes popping open, Arthur frantically looks from Vivi to Lewis, "Grab him from behind and help me get him up- AH!" Arthur must have froze for that one second, because when he felt Vivi loosen her grip to readjust, he swallowed all of his breath, and tossed out both common sense and self preservation and slams his shoulder into her chest

Vivi hit the van door in an instant, unable to slow or break her fall in any capacity. Her head bounces painfully against the metal steps before she completely collapses against it. She barely manages to blink away double vision before the familiar hand slices into vision, tracing along her eyes and scalp until they prod against a stinging line of pain. Lewis, checking her over....

"A-Arthur?" Sitting up faster than she probably should have, Vivi flinches and recoils from the pain zipping through her shoulder. She cries out, agonized and unexpected, built by pain so intense it made her eyes clench shut. Also gifting her just enough time to force her gaze to the treeline, and to see Arthur scramble away from them. Body twisting haphazardly around and sprinting into the deep tangles of trunks and branches. Neither of them could make a sound before Arthur vanishes in the mass of dying trees, covered by the dim moonlight and the contorted and stretching shadows provided enough coverage for him to slip away. His orange and bright clothing - typically useful for keeping an eye on him - disappeared in her spotty vision. Beside her, Lewis slid his palm behind her scalp, opting to feel for bruises instead of the cut. Shaky and uncertain, Vivi huffs and shifts her equally poor attention to the terrified and stoney expression coating Lewis's face. It was clouded with too many emotions, but it was clear he was distressed by how tense his shoulders were. He seemed like he wanted to force himself to stay focused on her, to keep him calm? Vivi chokes on her saliva, squinting out into the wilderness as Mystery raced out, disregarding them in hopes to locate Arthur- like so many times before. Vivi rasps, forcing her gaze to Lewis.

"Go- Go get Arthur..!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! What a ride!  
> Poor Arthur isn't going to be able to get out of the one all fine and dandy!  
> Because Im totally going to copy flash_the_geist  
> For every comment is a good luck charm for Arthur!  
> Edit: Hello again~ So, special news! Im... putting this fic on hiatus! Not because im bored of it, but because I suddenly have a LOT of ideas for this, and I want them to be properly fleshed out and written. Because of that, this may be gone for a few months? (I sure hope not!!!)


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